Winds of Changing Teams

Besides the "Team Harmony" discourse that I posed over a year ago, there is another interesting discourse that involves the teams in Pokémon Go. That is, of course, the prospect of changing teams, as noted in the title of this post. Because there are three teams, it's something natural to consider, especially if the way to do so becomes available. It also much depends on the will of the players themselves in deciding to undergo this process.

Regarding the way to do it, it has, in fact, been made available. Earlier this week, a new item was introduced to the shop, called the "Team Medallion". By purchasing and using this item, a player can elect to switch allegiances and change to a new team. The catch is that the Team Medallion costs 1000 coins to purchase, and one purchase is allowed every 365 days; that means once a player is set on changing teams, the player cannot change again for one year, in addition to whatever costs this purchase entails. That certainly will affect the decision, as much as other things.

Some time ago, a poll was conducted regarding this prospect. The results of this poll indicated that most players were happy with the team that they had chosen and there was no intent to change to another team. Not very many players indicated that they wanted to change to another team. This means the status quo is more or less acceptable to the majority of players, and for those players, there are not many initiatives to go through the team change process. Perhaps it would be different, if say for example, a totally new team was added to the mix, which could make for a strong initiative.

As for actual experiences with my raid group, so far I've noticed that two players had changed teams. One was originally a Mystic player and the other was originally an Instinct player, and both of them switched allegiances to Valor. Now this means they could defend the same Gym, after having been on opposing teams since the beginning... and they have, for I've seen them defend some nearby Gyms together. It's a minor change to the status quo of the Gyms around my area, but it's one that has proven to be usefully interesting.

Changing teams remains a remarkable discourse, whether or not players choose to do it. With the means now available, it is now very much a possibility. All the same, it is a decision that requires careful consideration and is not quickly reversible. But if it does happen, it may lead to advantageous situations for all parties of concern. And it may even be the precursor for further winds of change to blow in.

One year ago: Pikachu Cable Holder
Two years ago: Love My Life - Pokémon Too